Survey reveals frustration with EU regulatory framework
The number of nutrition industry professionals who find the European Union regulatory framework unhelpful has risen over the past year, according to a survey of industry professionals by Vitafoods Europe.
The number of nutrition industry professionals who find the European Union regulatory framework unhelpful has risen over the past year, according to a survey of industry professionals by Vitafoods Europe. In fact, one in three (33%) of those surveyed said the current EU regulatory environment is unhelpful, up from 25% at the start of 2017. Although 34% find the framework helpful, this figure has dropped from 37%.
Experts believe dissatisfaction has risen because of the EU’s tough stance on health claims and the continuing regulatory deadlock on botanicals. Thousands of botanical health claims have been on hold for several years while European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considers how to evaluate them. “Despite progress in some areas, the regulatory challenges for the industry have remained, or even increased, over the past year,” said Annegret Nielsen, senior consultant at analyze & realize. “It is currently very hard for companies to develop innovative products that comply.”
More than a quarter (28%) of respondents to the Vitafoods Europe survey said the EU policy change that would most help their business was an overhaul of health claims regulations. This may be because it has become too difficult to get a health claim approved. “I think many in the food and supplement industry are frustrated with EFSA’s tough stance on the Nutrition & Health Claim Regulation,” said Elinor McCartney, president of Pen & Tec Consulting Group. “Once they established the GAS (Generally Accepted Science) claims list, companies found it extremely hard—and very expensive—to achieve new claims. The industry has worked hard to comply but many feel the compliance pendulum has swung too far towards ‘mission impossible.’”
The EU is currently reviewing nutrition regulation through the Commission’s Regulatory Fitness and Performance (REFIT) program, which aims to keep EU law simple. Experts hope it will reduce the burden on the industry.